Picture the intersection at E. Blithedale and Camino Alto in 2040. Honored as the final foothill of Mt. Tam, the hillside is preserved as open space with native trees, grasses and wildlife. It stands as a tribute to the courage of the Planning Commission and City Council that made decisions in 2012. Following the momentum of a popular decision to refuse a permit for a Subway restaurant in downtown Mill Valley because it was out of alignment with the values and character of Mill Valley, the same city leaders provided courageous leadership. They refused to waste more precious time and money on further academic deliberations over faulty EIR and CEQA processes. They gave notice that neither land use designation nor zoning would change from Professional/ Administrative to Multi-Family Residential. Rather than being downgraded to look like an inner-city highrise project, Mill Valley maintained small-town character and citizen democracy. And thus, one thing, among many, was done in 2012 that preserved for posterity the natural beauty, open hillside, environmental habitat, safety, and neighborhood character of the entrance to our beloved community.